Although Celtic created the overwhelming majority of chances last night, they were punished for unforced errors. This is why Malmo are still in the tie.
Lots of positives were evident. Malmo could only foul James Forrest. He is fit and simply unstoppable. Celtic’s least effective periods of the game coincided with when they failed to get James on the ball. When he did get the ball, he often attracted three defenders, which curtailed his options but opened up space for others.
Next week James should find more space. Malmo’s main concern for the return leg will be how to cope with him.
Leigh Griffiths is on fire. He had no right to score his second goal, it was never his ball. The timing of his leap, combined with his reach and finish, were first class. He’ll fancy himself for a goal out there.
Our passing early on was as good as it has been all season but something went wrong, I think Scott Brown and Stefan Johansen’s roles changed. Scott bossed the opening 20 minutes but towards the end of the first half, a tension had crept in.
When our defenders had the ball at their feet, the options they had earlier simply weren’t there. Think back to the early moments when Scott dropped deeper than the two central defenders to give them options in possession. There was one occasion when Brown dropped to collect a forward pass from Boyata, before passing onto Forrest and then Armstrong, who carved an opening, all achieved without resistance. Our movement made Malmo look pedestrian. We lost our way when those options dried up.
We know what we will get from Forrest and Griffiths but the key three Celtic players next week will be Brown, Bitton and Johansen. Hareide criticised Celtic’s fitness, it’s certainly clear that the early pace we set was not maintained, although it could be argued that pace was impossible to maintain. If Brown, Bitton and Johansen have the stamina to cover the acreage they did for parts of the game last night, we will be comfortable in Sweden.
The major concern is the likely absence of Mikael Lustig. Efe and Dedryck both need immediately-available options in possession. It will be absolutely critical that they are not left to play long clearing balls forward. If this happens, we will invariably lose possession and Malmo will be able to build sustained attacks.
Ronny may decide to deploy Saidy Janko instead of Efe. Efe got the nod for the bench last night as we needed cover for both central defence and right back (he’s also convered left on occasion). None of us have enough information on Saidy to offer an informed opinion on this option yet, but he may be asked to step forward.
Malmo got as much out of last night’s game as was possible. They scored two goals and didn’t pass up a good chance. We have the lead and there’s nothing too worrying in what we saw from the visitors. They will play a different game at home, have more possession and create more chances, but Celtic will create lots of chances of their own.
There’s a hard 90 minutes ahead, but it’s in our own hands, and Ronny’s right, we can win out there. This tie has a Blackburn feel about it.
One for the golfers…….
Taggsybhoy is raffling a Round of Golf for 4 at the magnificent Aberdour Golf Course, where our annual CQN Golf Open takes place, to support his Great Scottish Run campaign in aid of the Celtic Foundation. The auction ends next week and you can bid on it here on ebay. Check it out, and check out what YOUR Foundation does as well.
This is a brilliant way to get involved and achieve something significant, well done to Taggsy for taking the initiative.
Thanks to everyone who donated as part of yesterday’s competition to win a Celtic Euro shirt, courtesy of Magners. Special thanks to the winner, Glasgowdave, for allowing us to auction the shirt at a later date. You’re not a bad lot.
646 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- ...
- 17
- »
Malmo have overturned first leg defeats of 0-2, 0-2, 2-4.
Hankray,
I almost jumped in there and said that we beat Reykjavik only last season, but that was in embra.
Before that it was Karagandy neebs
HH
beatbhoy
And you speak for Ron 67?
It was an attempt at humour, if I was standing beside him in a pub and he had a rant like that, that’s what I would have said to him, in a funny way, not a sarcastic way.
But make no mistake I know where you are coming from is it the lurking Huns thingie you don’t like?
You flashed your knickers there be careful,.
You have me thinking now?
San Diego Bhoy
Ron’s not my pal, although I’m sure he’d be a very good one.
I’m just having a wee laugh following Tony’s earlier scattergun GIRFUYs earlier today, seeing he gave us an opening. (maybe not best choice of word there).
bournesouprecipe
Michty me we’ll just have to put a stop to that:)
Malmoskelpers CSC
SuperSutton
He’s still gets wee’er the faster he runs, if his fitness improves much more, he’ll be under 5’0 at full pelt.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 20TH AUGUST 2015 2:54 PM
Age Hareide’s white shirt was also most annoying.
……………………
Not as annoying as his red loafers with white soles and white laces :-))
LIVIBHOY on 20TH AUGUST 2015 3:19 PM
bournesouprecipe
How different will Malmo be with Rosenburg in their side?
He sounds like their Henke!
Not panicking but we will have to be just as good as the first half last night because they will have their talisman back.
~~~~~~~~~~++~~~~~~~~~~
Is that the same Markus Rosenberg who didnae score once in two years for WBA,and has only once hit twenty league goals a season?
We should be no more concerned about him than most forwards we come up against every week,IMO.
My disappointment lies in what I hoped for last night, not what I hope for next week.
I just wish some players had maintained for the 95 or so mins we played.
I have no problem with Ciftci – more the reason for his use – there’s no point bringing him on if neither he nor his team know the game plan for his introduction.
There remained a notion in the team – and within me at 80/85/90 that 3-1 might have become 4-1.
U
Tonydonnelly67
Attempt at humour? Just like me, then!
Surely you can take it if you dish it out, Tony?
And I only speak for myself on here. Nothing to do with Ron67 this.
Bhoys lets not carried away all friendly banter, I’ll try and be a wee bit more positive but still depressed with our defending
HH
Ambrose had an uncomfortable 10 minutes last night but so did everyone. Talk of Janko or Fisher is wrong, Efe will play and should play on Tuesday night. He’s shown many times that he’s more than capable of playing a blinder. I think he will do so again v Malmo.
Keep the Faith!
starry
They were content with time wasting at 2-1, for sure.
‘We will score over there’ is already a the most common cliche.
beatbhoy
Oh yes I can take it, I was just defending an accusation of being sarcastic, and explained that I wasent being that, and I only mentioned Ron as you brought him into it, I’m done now, it’s getting playground stuff now.
Ah jeez, Tony. Don’t you start thinking now.
It.s bad enough with Charkie Nicholas! : > ) —smileyface. only a joke.
Lol, CQNs guy on Clyde right now, in a Hun mood, lol.
TOSB
Red loafers you say!!!!!- and a white shirt!!!!!! ( Nae Jaicket )
He’s neither dressed age consciously or fashion consciously, in fact he’s just bang out of order if I’d seen that from the Jungle I’d have shiricked him myself.
To qualify.
Corals
Malmo 7/4
Celtic 8/15
bournesouprecipe
Their game plan seemed to revolve round nicking an away goal as you showed their turn over rate is fairly impressive, I dropped my Toblerone when I saw they had humped Salzburg.
Our gift wrapped second goal had them celebrating much to the chagrin of the CQN nannies but had we scored two goals away from home I would have been ordering extra Rösti:)
When they scored the second my first thought was ” that’s it we’re out” This morning hasn’t moved that seismically but Celtic have equally delighted me as they have frustrated me over the years.
The injury situation might see us field a slight different team than usual and sometimes that’s no bad thing.
Five more sleeps as they!
Where has the VVD money gone
MR PASTRY 426pm
Once again,resorting to type when someone disagrees with you,default of an insult.
On that subject,have I upset you somehow? On Tuesday you tacked a post onto a redundant thread-in a manly kinda manner-and yesterday hammered me again in my absence,as I had long hit my cot for nightshift.
Lies,conjecture and insult I can cope with,no problem. Dennis Healey didn’t have a problem with Geoffrey Howe either. But bastardising my moniker as you did is so so wrong.
In doing so,you insulted three people.
Bobby Lennox,top scorer from The Lions era,all-round good guy and all time legend.
Bobby Murdoch,the fulcrum of Jock’s team,and a legend at two clubs! And an all-round good guy to boot.
Bobby’s wife,Kath. My moniker is based around her first meeting with Bobby.
You couldn’t lick their boots or dancing shoes,but they mattered so little to you as you fired off your cheap shot. Yet you call yourself a Celtic fan.
Keep hurling the insults at all and sundry,but try to base them on facts. I’ll do the same for you. For instance,I may reference your toadying deference to the board,your hatred of Celtic fans who dare ask questions,your contempt for anyone who engages in the democratic process but not the way you would wish them to.
These and other things are a matter of record,so therefore in play.
Your shout.
On many occasions we shoot our load in the first 20 to 25 mins.
Having spent our lot .
We tire and teams come back at us.
Tiredness increases the lapses in concentration and the mistakes become inevitable .
We need to pace ourselves for the 95 mins,and not sprint and run out of gas .
The high tempo that Ronnie wants us to play is just go exhausting for the players that we can afford.
TT
Go = to
TT
useless fact for the day.
in an interview just played on the radio ronni said “when we go down to Malmo”.
that got me thinking he is speaking like a guy with local knowledge, a scandic guy, if he was at home in norway then offcourse you would travel in a “down” direction.
but being the sage he is, he actually knows we are travelling down from glasgow (latitude 55 51N)
to malmo (latitude 55 36N)
I think Ronny must have a good look at himself and the Celtic team he says one of his key strengths is improving players in both fitness and skills.On Saturday we lost two goals late on against Inverness and last night we lost a late goal so where is this fitness Ronny talks about ? Now we are playing a right back who is not fit and where is the skills improvement in Efe and Izzi he has brought in GMS and Cifti who in my opinion are just not good enough at CL level and Boyata is also a concern as he switches off to easily.Next weeks game is not only huge in financial terms for Celtic but I think it is a cross road for Ronny not qualifying for the CL group stage for two seasons is just not good enough in my opinion. H.H.
Over all I enjoyed the game last night, and despite the fact that like most on here I view the world through emerald-tinted glasses, to be honest I can see no reason why we cannot win in Sweden.
Starry
That’s BBC news just announced for the thirty thousandth time that Celtic conceded two goals, without saying we won!
Negative Spin csc
SHOCKEROONI.
The old goin doon to greenock, (lat 55 56) from up the Port (lat 55 55), proved scientifically wrong on the world maps site.
Tonydonnelly67
I only accused you of being sarcastic because, er, you were, but it was quite funny. I just wanted to return your exhortation to “glass half-empty” posters from earlier today, that was the point of the post.
Very playground, I’ll give you that.
And,by the way, as long as they’re clean, they’re fit tae be seen!
Better go, there’s the bell.
Apart from the last goal we had a great time last night.
Thanks to all the posters I met before the game.
The bus got back to Drogheda at 4am. Quality time spent with the wee lad.
Here is hoping we can do it again for the CL.
Clogher
CLOGHERCELT
A lovely wee bit of perspective there.
We won,and you and yer lad had a great time.
Delighted,mate.
The bus got back to Drogheda at 4am.
Cap doffed
Hail Hail
Cloghercelt
Thanks for giving us some perspective.
i know of the old electric brae phenonmonon, somewhere is scotland, but …………
if you want to go doon tae england when we have to play berwick rangers (55 46N) , using the IRVINE CSC (55 37N). then its uphill all the way.
cloughercelt ….we will win on Tuesday …..this team need To come out at us and we are perfectly capable of scoring again over there….
He is away camping now. Can’t keep up.
Mrs C picked us up at 4am and said, “Today is our 22nd Wedding Anniversary, did you forget?”
Course I didn’t.
Inter flora online at 4.15.
Tam the bam from Paisly displaying his pain on radio Scotland
blackpool is quarter of a degree further north than st pauli hamburg.